Seals and their pups attract Isle visitors

Nature-loving Isle folk are contributing to a seal appeal launched at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve.

As these photographs taken by a reader out at the reserve show, the seals on this part of the coast are much in evidence and are a great attraction to visitors from across Lincolnshire and beyond.

To help protect them and their habitat the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has launched a new appeal that can be accessed via its website.

Donna Nook Reserve spreads across more than six miles of wild coastline between Grainthorpe Haven in the north and Saltfleet in the south, and is a popular haunt for families and wildlife enthusiasts from the Isle.

Grey seals are generally at sea or on far flung sandbanks throughout the year. But in November and December each year, the seals give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, and this spectacle pulls in visitors from across the country.

There is a viewing area at the foot of the sand dunes to allow minimal disturbance to the seals and keep visitors safe.

As with most living creatures, seals can be very protective of their pups and bulls can react aggressively. As predators, seals can also move quickly and have powerful teeth.

Should a mother seal smell humans or dogs on her pups she may well abandon them.

The first seal pup was born on October 24 this year. The nature reserve provides weekly updates on the seals and how many there are.